Following the success of TikTok and Instagram Reels, Disney announced that it’s bringing short-form video content to Disney+ in the U.S. this year in a bid to boost daily engagement. Disney made the announcement at its Tech + Data Showcase event at CES 2026.
The company said in a blog post that the experience “will evolve as it expands across news and entertainment and delivers a more personalized, dynamic experience that reinforces Disney+ as a must-visit daily destination.”
Disney told Deadline that the videos could include original short-form content, repurposed social clips, scenes from TV shows or movies, or a combination.
“We’re obviously thinking about integrating vertical video in ways that are native to core user behaviors,” Erin Teague, EVP of Product Management for Disney Entertainment and ESPN, told Deadline. “So, it won’t be a kind of a disjointed, random experience.”
The move comes as Disney launched a personalized vertical video feed in the ESPN app last year.
By introducing short-form video content to Disney+, the company is targeting younger users who are accustomed to watching quick clips on their phones rather than long-form content like TV shows and movies.
Disney+ won’t be the first streamer to explore vertical video, as Netflix launched a vertical feed last year that lets users scroll through clips from its original titles.
Techcrunch event
San Francisco
|
October 13-15, 2026